Finally, a reason for the Comedy Central generation to tune in to tomorrow’s Oscars: Sacha Baron Cohen will be allowed to walk the red carpet as the gold-embossed, obviously fake-bearded Admiral General Shabazz Aladeen, supreme ruler of the fictitious Republic of Wadiya and the lead character in his latest parody, The Dictator. Here is Cohen-as-Aladeen humbly (and, true to Borat form, anti-Semitically) reacting to the news:
VICTORY IS OURS! Today the Mighty Nation of Wadiya triumphed over the Zionist snakes of Hollywood. Evil and all those who made Satan their protector were vanquished and driven into the Pacific Sea. What I am trying to say here is that the Academy have surrendered and sent over two tickets and a parking pass! TODAY OSCAR, TOMORROW OBAMA!
After reportedly pulling Cohen’s tickets to avoid the publicity stunt, the suits over at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences must have realized they were taking themselves just a little too seriously. But seems some people out there still don’t quite get Cohen’s jokes — Nikke Finke over at Deadline Hollywood claims the site received “many anti-Semitic comments about showbiz†after its post went live, all of which were promptly deleted for being “disgusting.â€